Portable Compressor

[Sandero]

I am looking for a small compressor for various projects for boat and home. Any recommendations?

[goboatingnow]

There's million and one makes out there I have one that's just about portable. Also it depends on what you use it for . Small ones are good for spraying and small air tools ( I have various nailers, drills, grinders and air chisels). I find that the air reservoirs on small compressors limit tools that consume a lot of air like air chisels and the rotary grinders.

Get one just on the limit of portability , bigger is always better in compressors in my experience

Dave

[dirtydon]

i have a small portercable pancake comp. small enough to be portable, can run 1/2in impact gun for short burst for car lug nuts. pulls aprox 11 amp on start up but has a good size tank on it for reserve.

[capn_billl]

I bought a 2 gal oiless. Its noisy but it works, and certainly protable. What country are you looking in? (I bought a 5 gal air tank that I hook on for extra time). 2 gals doesn't last long on most air tools.

[tallyhorob]

note, you can add a tank to the unit, so you could have a 5 gal tank plus the 2 gal with the unit and use the small when needed and hook up the 5 gal when you need to also. note you will need to let it run for a while first to catch up the 2 + 5 gals.

[Sandero]

I am in NYC - Southern NE area. I don't intend to do much work with it on the hook, but I have some large batts and 1000 watt inverter which should handle it. No?

Thanks for the replies!

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by defjef

I am in NYC - Southern NE area. I don't intend to do much work with it on the hook, but I have some large batts and 1000 watt inverter which should handle it. No?

Thanks for the replies!

If you want to use a compressor with air tools you will not find much use for a compressor that will run on a 1000 watt inverter. You would be able to use tools that only require an impulse of power (e.g. nailer) but not at a high rate and forget about tools that need to have a high continuous flow (e.g. sprayer, sand blaster, sander, grinder etc.). You will need at least 1500 watts at 120vac for that, and realistically those uses will be greatly underpowered even at that level of power consumption.

For those uses like abrasive blasting, realistically you will need a high-amp 220vac or gas engine powered compressor. Those little pancake compressors will not cut it. There is NO WAY an inverter-powered compressor will be up to the task.

PS - Some motors will not run well (or at all) on a modified sine inverter, and an inverter might not be up to the task of high momentary motor start-up power draw.

[Sandero]

I don't intend to use it on the hook, but dockside where there is shore power. I do like to use compressed air for cleaning out dust and water (in hoses for example). But for tools I would work with it dockside with shore power.

[cruiseric]

SailFasttri is right, you won't be able to run very many tools like sandblasting equipment or grinders with a smaller air compressor.

You might be able to run something for a very short period of time but its rather annoying.

The small pancake type might work for blowing hoses out though. Bigger is always better.

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

If you want to use a compressor with air tools you will not find much use for a compressor that will run on a 1000 watt inverter. You would be able to use tools that only require an impulse of power (e.g. nailer) but not at a high rate and forget about tools that need to have a high continuous flow (e.g. sprayer, sand blaster, sander, grinder etc.). You will need at least 1500 watts at 120vac for that, and realistically those uses will be greatly underpowered even at that level of power consumption.

For those uses like abrasive blasting, realistically you will need a high-amp 220vac or gas engine powered compressor. Those little pancake compressors will not cut it. There is NO WAY an inverter-powered compressor will be up to the task.

PS - Some motors will not run well (or at all) on a modified sine inverter, and an inverter might not be up to the task of high momentary motor start-up power draw.